Month: April 2016

Few days ago I started a journey into world of Linux with installation of Ubuntu.

Switching operating system in a laptop isn’t a regular thing to do unless one has some really good reasons.
While I’ve upgraded to Windows 10 I was never comfortable with their new approach to privacy and data sharing. Linux seems to be the only system that remains an actual desktop system not some sort of cloud connected, big data crunching machine.

Changing environment also forces me to learn new things, understand how this system works, what are the main principles and commands.

I also like the ethos of Linux in general, open source, voluntary contribution, sharing of knowledge, tinkering away. All this seems refreshing in the world dominated by control, restritions and limitations.

The past number of times when I attempted a switch I ended up going back to Windows but this time I took a different approach. I turned this into a project. It may sound over the top but it’s perfect match to my reignited interest in GTD methodology.
Since this is a project, I have set out the main vision for it, defined parameters and set couple milestones to check in how things are going.
So instead random “move to Ubuntu” it’s “establish Ubuntu as primary OS” with a number of specific expectations listed.

Will it work? Will it last?

I don’t know I’ve tried before but always ended up back in the world of Windows

So far it’s been good and everything I needed to do worked fine. In fairness while it may seem very challenging to change operating system and move to completly new environment the change isn’t as dramatic.
The initial installation was quick, everything runs smoothly, I’m learning news things.

Once I reach 30 and 90 day milestones I will know for sure if this is for me and whether I will stick to it.

Sum Up Here’s what we can learn from Nicholas: Hang out with the people you want to be: Behaviors spread like a virus. Make sure it’s one you want to be infected with. Make more friends. Time spent making friends has a higher happiness ROI than time spent making money. Introduce friends to friends. Friends becoming happy increases your chance of happiness by 45%. Keeping the network happy protects you against unhappiness. Other research Nicholas did turned up something truly heartwarming: friends are family. Quite literally.

Doing everything on your own can take you only so far. To go further you need supportive people.

Stock apps, if feasible. Open formats. Plain, readable text. Then my own macros, and scripts, and workflows, and whatever I can be bothered with that day. That’s where I like to be, productivity-wise, and I find it liberating. There are different definitions of flexibility, and that’s mine.